Gemotions

The apartment felt too big, the silence echoing her failures. Sarah watched as Mark meticulously researched different breeds of cats, his voice filled with excited pronouncements about hypoallergenic qualities. She felt a cold dread in her stomach as she heard him. Another email, another failed interview. Each day felt less and less like a path, and more like a maze with no exit.

He was talking about adopting a rescue, and she felt a sharp, cutting sensation in her chest. His compassion, his enthusiasm, were beautiful. She felt her own lack of those qualities like a physical wound. She wished she had something to give, anything that would make her life feel meaningful.

She moved away, as if trying to physically distance herself from the conversations. She felt a strong urge to make herself smaller, to disappear.